ISLAMABAD, FEB 3 (DNA) – Pakistan must take concrete measures to materialize the recently announced ‘Look Africa’ policy in real terms, said Ambassador (retd) Najam-us-Saqib, former Pakistan’s envoy to South Africa, Brazil, Kenya, Bangladesh and Cuba, at a webinar titled ‘Pakistan’s relations with Southern African countries’ held at Institute of Policy Studies.

The session was chaired by Chairman IPS Khalid Rahman and moderated by Sr. IPS Associate Ambassador (retd) Tajammul Altaf and attended by many foreign policy analysts and researchers.

Commenting on Pakistan’s bilateral relations with South Africa, which is the biggest country in the southern region and member of G-20 and BRICS, the former ambassador said that  Pakistan enjoys strong ties with it, especially defense cooperation as the COASs from both countries visit each other regularly.

However, he rued that bilateral trade volume between both countries stands at meager $600 million, and no Pakistani head of the state has paid a visit there in the last 15 years, except former President Mamnoon Hussain, who went there to attend the last rites of late Nelson Mandela.

Najam-us-Saqib believed that despite a large number of Pakistani expatriates living in South Africa, the stretch of cultural and political relations with South Africa and other southern countries including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Mozambique is not significant.

People in South Africa, he informed, still remember the leading role played by Pakistan against the apartheid. However, the benefits of such cordial relationships are yet to be reaped. He further stressed the need for initiating joint ventures in the mining sector with South Africa.

The ambassador emphasized resuming direct flights from South Africa to Pakistan and opening of banking channels as no Pakistani bank operates in South Africa. He also suggested promoting Pakistani films and dramas and organizing cultural events in South Africa to bolster cultural ties.

Concluding the session, IPS Chairman Khalid Rahman opined that Pakistan needs to acknowledge the importance of African countries, especially the southern region, and identify areas of cooperation.=DNA

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All such owners have further been warned that if they do not get their dues settled by this date, the administration shall not be responsible for any damages that may take place as a result of operation against the defiant owners

Mahnoor Ansar

ISLAMABAD: /DNA/ – The Federal Government employees Housing Authority has issued notices to the affectees and owners of land and houses in sector G-14/1, G-14/2, G-15/3, and MOZZAH JHANGI Sayidan to get in touch with the concerned authorities and get compensation.

The Housing Authority has given advertisements in newspapers warning them to get their dues and vacate the land.

They have been asked to make it possible to help award of houses by providing authentic ownership rights documents along with owned house document, Name, Father-name, National Identity Card, and current living address.

So, all the residents and affectees of sub sector whose houses are legally built, have been asked to provide mentioned documents to office of the District Commissioner, Federal Government Employees Housing Authority till 1^st February 2021 in order get received receipt.

All such owners have further been warned that if they do not get their dues settled by this date, the administration shall not be responsible for any damages that may take place as a result of operation against the defiant owners.

It may be mentioned here that the G 14 sector was announced in 2004 but due to illegal Built Up Properties (BUP) it could not be developed.

The foundation further said land for Sector G 14/1,2,3 was acquired by the DC office Islamabad vide an award under Section 11 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894 in January 2005.

The award for Built up Property in G 14/3 could only be announced in 2014 and supplementary award in 2017. Almost 70 per cent of the area of Sector G 14/3 has been got vacated and development work is being executed on the site. It further stated, the measurements for BUP are being conducted in Sector G 14/2 and award of BUPs in G 14/2 was done in February 2020.

Similarly measurements for BUP have already started in G 14/1 and award of BUPs was expected by 31 March 2020, however it is delayed because people have not yet vacated houses despite the fact that they have already received the compensation.

Sources say that the housing authority plans to give possession of the land to allottees within next couple of months. Development work in sub sector G 14/3 and G 14/2 is already underway. Even, people have started house construction after getting possession in these sub sectors.

ISLAMABAD, FEB 3 (DNA) – The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and local partners, launched the Pakistan Private Sector Energy project today to increase private sector investment in clean energy.

The project will support small and medium-scale energy activities throughout Pakistan to boost local and national economic growth.

The Pakistan Private Sector Energy project will encourage more private investment in the energy sector, with a focus on low-cost, renewable energy sources, which are critical to expanding economic growth.  UNIDO will work with clean-energy project developers and private sector investors to access project financing.

“Sustainable, low-cost energy is a key ingredient in Pakistan’s economic development. Harnessing the power of private sector investment will generate economic growth and create new jobs,” said USAID Mission Director Julie Koenen.

“This new USAID-funded project will complement the Pakistani government’s efforts in facilitating a cleaner, cheaper, more climate friendly, and sustainable energy mix for Pakistan,” said Minister for Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam.

The Pakistan Private Sector Energy project continues USAID’s long-term partnership with the Government of Pakistan.  Since 2010, USAID has partnered with the Government of Pakistan to add more than 3,900 megawatts to the national energy grid.  These investments have benefitted more than 47 million Pakistanis, reduced costs for energy distribution companies by over $400 million, and leveraged more than $2.3 billion in private investment.

USAID has also supported the construction of new transmission lines and substations to evacuate power from wind power projects to the national grid, as well as rehabilitated thermal and hydroelectric power plants.=DNA

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BEIJING, Feb. 3 (DNA): Research and technologies on biomass energy and circular agriculture developed by Lanzhou University are being introduced to Pakistan, helping the country cope with insufficient energy supply and promote agricultural modernization, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Wednesday.

The report says that biomass energy is the energy stored in biomass, which is non-fossil organic materials such as wood, straw, vegetable oils and wastes from forestry, agriculture and industry, as well as municipal solid waste.

As an important renewable source of energy, it contains stored energy from the sun. When biomass is burned, the chemical energy in biomass is released as heat.

Lanzhou University, located in Gansu Province in western China where there is drought with little rain, has focused on the development of circular agriculture and made innovations in the fields of planting, animal husbandry and biomass energy over the years. The fragile ecology in Gansu is quite similar to many areas of Pakistan, which lays a ground for applying related Chinese technologies to Pakistan.

In September, 2015, Lanzhou University and Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) established China-Pakistan Biomass Energy Technology R&D and Demonstration Center.

In October, 2016, Lanzhou University provided technological training to 20 Pakistani experts from PARC to share the university’s research achievements. Data from Lanzhou University’s official website shows that the university provided experimental equipment worth RMB 1 million, and PARC provided a 2000-cubic-meter experimental building with Rs. 920 million.

“Pakistan is a traditional agricultural country, and its huge agricultural base has provided abundant biomass materials. However, the country has suffered from energy shortage for a long period.

Our technologies can help solve the problems faced by Pakistan and improve the lives of local people,” said Prof. Li Xiangkai, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, whose team has initiated cooperation with Pakistan since 2011.

Biomass energy, such as biogas, has become increasingly popular in developing countries because of its low cost and high efficiency. Up to now, agricultural biogas system and biomass energy conversion technology specifically applicable to Pakistan are under research. Four biogas demonstration bases including 50 biogas digesters have been built in Pakistan.

Latest information shows that the Chinese and Pakistani researchers have developed a technology of utilizing vegetable wastes for bioenergy generation, which is suitable for Pakistan with great potential to be gradually popularized, the report added.